The invention relates to apparatus for mixing textile fibers.
An apparatus for mixing textile fibers may consist of a mixing chamber, a charging device which effects the charging of the mixing chamber inwardly from a first mixing chamber end wall, a fiber transport apparatus located in the vicinity of the chamber bottom, and a mixer plough located in the vicinity of a second mixing chamber end wall which is opposite the first mixing chamber end wall. The fiber material located in the chamber is guided by means of the fiber transport apparatus to the mixing plough. Such a mixing apparatus is described, for example, in GB-PS No. 1 014 218, dating from the year 1965. In DE-AS No. 12 02 195, also from the year 1965, a machine for mixing fiber material is described in the form of a step separator with a reversible tubular switch. The fiber material is charged through the step separator.
To increase the separation and mixing effect, a portion of the fiber material is generally deposited in a second mixing chamber, so that as a result of the subsequent emptying process, a repeated intensive mixing of the material takes place. The mixing may be, for example, for distributing a softener. In the devices according to the prior art, two mixing chambers and a mixer plough are required. The mixer plough is always at the service of one of the two mixing chambers. Since the mixing chambers, which can be from 3 to 20 m long and from 2 to 4 m wide, take up a lot of space, it is apparent that this mixing system of the prior art is extraordinarily expensive and bulky.
The object of the invention is therefore the creation of an apparatus for the mixing, and specifically the repeated mixing, of textile fibers so that the second mixing chamber can be eliminated to reduce the space occupied by the equipment and to reduce the expense and effort which is currently required for the construction of the second mixing chamber.